[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 146 (Thursday, September 12, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1139-E1140]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING DON RODMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JOSEPH P. KENNEDY III

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 12, 2019

  Mr. KENNEDY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a 
good friend, a leader in business and a titan of philanthropy, Don 
Rodman.
  Growing up in a single parent household in Dorchester during the 
Great Depression, Don

[[Page E1140]]

knew struggle and he knew sacrifice. He understood the power of empathy 
for a neighbor in need and he felt deeply that you are judged not by 
what you create or build, but what you give back to your community and 
your neighbors.
  A love of automobiles led Don to drop out of high school and enlist 
in the U.S. Army as a mechanic. Upon completion of his service, he 
married the love of his life, Marilyn, and began a career in the auto 
industry.
  His talents, intuition and vision didn't go unnoticed for long, as 
Ford offered him a small dealership in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Working 
closely with his brother Gerry on this new business, he didn't let that 
dealership stay small for long and quickly grew it to one of the 
largest in our Commonwealth.
  But if you asked him what he cared about most in life beyond his 
family, he wouldn't have given it a second thought: it was always 
philanthropy and giving back.
  As he often said, ``You can give your time. You can give your 
shoulder. You can give your heart.''
  And that's exactly what Don has done for decades. After supporting 
the Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps, he founded the Rodman 
Ride for Kids which has raised nearly $150 million for at-risk 
children. Even on the day he passed away, 150 kids were enjoying an 
all-expenses paid trip to Disney World sponsored by his charitable 
organizations.
  You didn't have to know Don to know the impact he had on our 
Commonwealth and our country, but knowing him was simply inspiring and 
I was lucky to have grown close to him over the years.
  To Don's five sons, Brett, Gene, Bart, Curtis and Craig, I thank them 
for sharing their dad with us for all of these years. Our thoughts and 
prayers are with them.

                          ____________________